Tuesday will see the release of “R-Evolution,” a fantastic compendium of videos and performances by The Doors on DVD and Blu-ray.

While certainly not the most comprehensive collection of visuals from the Los Angles-based outfit, it does deliver a solid enough overview that provides a deep insight to how far the band matured over the years in terms of both comfortability in front of the camera and depth of innovative ideas.

The title “R-Evolution” is play on both how revolutionary The doors were as well as how their appearances on television and self-produced music films evolved from the constraints of mid-’60 television to a point where they had the creative input and power to shape how they were portrayed on screen.

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From a then unknown L.A. band creating early music films to an established worldwide phenomenon executing creative control over their celluloid persona, the collection shows the growth of The Doors from being forced to accept the formulaic television approach to taking control of the medium. It’s all in the title — the evolution of a band that helped revolutionize the way rock bands promote their art.

“R-Evolution” brings together a wealth of previously unreleased footage of The Doors, kicking off with what would surely be considered one of the first music videos in “Break on Through (To the Other Side).” The song, which opens the band’s self-titled debut, has its video treatment dissected in a bonus documentary by the surviving members along with producer Bruce Botnick and Elektra Records president Jac Holzman.

The release then delves into a mish-mash of lip-synched performances from well-known shows like “American Bandstand” (“Crystal Ship” and “Light My Fire”) and “Murray the K in New York” (“People are Strange”) to to less popular and more short-lived ones like “Malibu U” (“Light My Fire) and the German program “Musik Für Junge Leute: 4-3-2-1 Hot And Sweet” (“Hello, I Love You”). Most of the performances are lip-synched, as was the norm then, but some of the partially live ones are excellent. There’s a great moment from “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” when Doors frontman Jim Morrison completely misses the mark coming back into the verse and has to quickly find his vocal footing.

A real treat is the dearth of music videos, or “music films” as they were termed then. The controversial “The Unknown Solider,” which has Morrison tied up and shot, to lighter pieces like “Roadhouse Blues.”

In the early ’80s, long after the group had broken up after unsuccessfully moving forward following Morrison’s death in 1971, MTV was born and became a phenomenon for the video medium. To reintroduce younger music fans to the legacy of The Doors, the surviving band members commissioned a series of new visuals to go with older songs: “Gloria,” “Strange Days” and “L.A. Woman” among them. There’s also an interpretation of “Ghost Song,” a Morrison spoken-word piece that the band reissued in 1995 and made a video to go along with it.

“R-Evolution” boasts a wealth of excellent bonus features, including a commentary by Doors members John Densmore, Robby Krieger and the late Ray Manzarek plus Botnick and Elektra Records founder Holzman. Additionally there is a performance of “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” from the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970, the aforementioned documentary titled “The Doors-Breaking Through The Lens,” and “Love Thy Customer,” a never-before-seen 1966 Ford training film with music by The Doors. Finally, the DVD has a section of outtakes from the band’s appearance on the U.S. TV show “Malibu U” in 1967.

In addition to the DVD and Blu-ray, a Deluxe Edition is available on each physical format, packaged in a 40-page DVD-size hardback book with a scrapbook-style presentation on each track, including lyrics, background info, trivia and photos. All footage has been carefully restored to the highest standards, and the sound has been remixed and mastered for 5.1 by Botnick.

To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@hotmail.com. Also, check out his blog at www.delcotimes.com